Local area
Lyon, France’s second city, ideally situated in the heart of Europe, stands at the point where the Rhône river meets the Saône river. This conurbation of a million inhabitants has a fascinating history. Since its official founding in 43 BCE by Julius Caesar, Lugdunum (the hill of the god Lug, the god of the sun, light, arts and crafts), later to become known as Lyon, retained the title of Capital of the Gauls. The city has been shaped by its history. The city’s old districts, Vieux Lyon, Fourvière Hill, the Slopes of Croix Rousse and the Presqu’île (almost 500 hectares) have been classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1998.
Lyon offers an exceptional quality of life, “l’Art de vivre�, with user-friendly, clean and safe public transport and low pollution levels, renovated river banks that revealed beautiful views of the city over a 5-kilometre stretch of modern and delightful walkways, and is in a pleasant location in France just two hours from the Alps and one and a half hours from the French Riviera.
Lyon is city of culture: from the Biennial Festival of Dance in September to the Nuits de Fourvière in the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre, in summer Lyon offers a host of cultural events. You will love the city’s many museums (Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Art, Gallo-Roman Museum at Fourvière, the brand new museum “des confluences“, etc.).
Lyon is also the ‘gastronomic’ capital of France: from the city’s bouchon bistros to the celebrity chef Paul Bocuse and his restaurants and cafés, from the Brasserie Saint-Georges to the new talents of Matthieu Vianney, Nicolas Le Bec, Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex, Lyon offers you sophisticated cuisine for every budget.
It is also easy to get around the city, since it is 7 kilometres from north to south and also 7 kilometres from east to west.
Lyon, a beautiful, proud and welcoming city.
- More about Lyon and its region
- How to get a visa to come to France
- Download useful documents about Lyon (maps, guides, etc.)
- Lyon Tourist OfficeÂ
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